Certainly the Balearic New Age House that's currently popular owes much to 1980s Japan, particularly that from around these down under parts.

I doubt they'd mind the connection, all part of the retro world we're living in, but if we are 30 years behind should we be paying more attention to Japan in the 1990s to see what we're up for next? Shibuya-kei? Might not be so bad.